Sometimes I feel like I'm loosing my mind. Now that I have 3 kids, I am starting to see things a little more clearly when it comes to my older kids.
Example #1: I am seeing that my #2 is slightly spoiled. Before having a baby, I never noticed it. She is constantly asking for things, and lately when she gets them, she then proceeds to destroy them with a vengeance.
Case in point: Her Build A Bear Workshop lamb that I spent entirely too much money on about 2 weeks ago. I found it on her bedroom floor the other day with a ton of the batting pulled out of it. I remember about 2 1/2 weeks ago when she begged me for it almost to tears. I thought, "Gee! I think that I will surprise her with a "girl date" and go to Build A Bear and get her it. She would just love that!" Now I'm regretting the whole thing. Yikes!
Another case: She has been begging her Daddy to blow up her pool in the back yard so that she could swim in it. He has been so busy, so I busted out the air compressor and did it myself. I spend almost 3 hours blowing it up, spraying it down with the hose, cleaning and scrubbing it with soap, spraying it out again, and then filling it up with water. She was elated when she saw it all set up for her when she got home from school. She played in it for a few hours and when I walked out there to check on her for the zillionth time, I discover that she had dumped a TON of dirt into the pool. When I asked her why, she couldn't tell me why. She had no idea why she put dirt in her nice clean pool that I spent 3 hour prepping for her.
In all honesty, I think that she's acting out in a way. Ever since her baby sister arrived, I've noticed my #2 whining more, asking me questions constantly (who am I kidding, she's always been a jabber jaw), climbing on me more, and purposely doing thing that she knows that she's not supposed to do.
She has been on this path of destruction for a month or so now. It's almost as if she hates her toys. How could you hate Barbie?
She's 5 (almost 6) for crying out loud. She knows how to follow the rules. Oy vey! I am hoping that by praising her more and making more of an effort to spend alone time with her will help her snap out of it. She IS such a sweet and funny little girl. She lights up my life!
Example #2: I am also seeing that my boy...my #1...is completely dependable. Horray! I barely have to do anything for him now. He makes his own breakfast, can take his own showers, do his own hair, pick out his own clothes, make a PB&J sandwich, take his sister to the park, and even...wait for it...stay at home by himself. Shocker, I know! I wasn't sure how old he should be when I let him stay at home by himself for a few hours. Then I thought about my childhood, and remembered that when I was in elementary school I did the same thing. I would walk home from school by myself, and be at home alone for about an hour or so until my parents got home from work. I just followed a very simple rule: Pretend like you're not home. Which means, don't answer the door, don't look out the window, and don't go outside until Mom or Dad get home. So, for now, I let him stay at home when I go to the grocery store. He has to follow my one simple rule too. He basically just watches TV the entire time. Last time that I did it, he called me twice because he missed me. I was only gone for 45 minutes. I love it!
Now if only I could get him to feed is baby sister more often.....
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